The mission of OFM is to provide ministry education in places where such education is hard to get.  Classes have started in Geita, an African town around 100 kilometers south and west of Mwanza.  Geita contains the only working gold mine in Tanzania.  The gold mine is a big operation.

There are two Anglican churches in Geita itself, a larger one in the center of the city, a smaller one on the outskirts, and many other Anglican churches in the surrounding area.  I teach at the larger church in Geita, Christ the King, whose pastor is named Mathias.  He is the biggest supporter of the classes.  I currently stay with a local family.

The classes are held in the church itself.  High temperatures often drive us outside to under a large shade tree. Rain occasionally drives us back into the church.  There are 20 students, none of who speak any English, all who come from different Anglican churches in the area.  All students are evangelists, each pastoring a church under the infrequent and distant supervision of a priest-pastor.  From the data sheets I collected, the highest education level attained was 7th grade by the way we measure.  Only by grace, by some knowledge of Scripture, and by personal hard work do they succeed as pastors.

One day, I asked some questions of my students.  All 20 of them are lay people, evangelists and church teachers.   Priests rarely come to their churches. All the students normally lead Sunday services, doing a service of the Word.  In reality, they are the pastors. I asked each to describe the ministry at their church, how many members they had, and what was their average Sunday attendance.  These 18 people pastor over 2,500 people and collectively serve an average of 2,000 people on Sunday.  In one way, they may be big enough to qualify as a diocese in the new Anglican Province in North America!

An important moment occurred on Tuesday. I had perceived some feelings of inferiority among my students and I was asked, “Why is it that some parishes are pastored by priests and some parishes are pastored by evangelists?”   I thought – Oh this is an important question.  Lord, help me to give them your answer.

The reply, “In the Anglican Communion, the churches of most countries do not have evangelists in the same way as you do.  In those countries, almost every parish has a priest who is supposed to be the evangelist.  Here in Africa, you do not have enough priests for all parish churches because the education system cannot support the development of all those who might be called by God to be a priest.  Yet, God wants to provide ministry and leadership for his people.  In Lake Victoria, a boat without a rudder wanders aimlessly about, subject to every wind and wave, and cannot complete the journey.  A church without leadership and ministry is like a boat without a rudder on Lake Victoria.  So, God gives a gift to each parish without a priest; He gives them an evangelist to lead the church.”  They beamed.

Initially, class was very hard for them.  Translation makes progress slow.  Lack of ministry education makes most material new.  Prior bad teaching and bad assumptions means that they have to unlearn some things they thought they knew.  There were many misconceptions about Trinity, Virgin Birth, Dual nature of Christ, and others.  Changing such misconceptions is a big challenge, but they work at it.

The Holy Spirit moved mid-week. The students began to understand better.  They became more participative.  They thought and answered questions and discussed issues.  One lady evangelist witnessed to me how she thought that God had touched her life in the class and I was able to affirm that it was God.

Thursday, I met Rev Donat and nine other priests who were visiting from the Diocese of Gahini in Rwanda, and here in Geita for an evangelization crusade.  They must have talked to someone here because they asked if I would come to Rwanda and teach.  I gave them my card and asked them to contact me after I returned to America.

The ministry is working.  One week has been successfully completed.  The students have learned much new material about what the beliefs of the church are and what is ordained ministry.  Two more weeks of instruction will follow.

I congratulate the people of Christ Community Anglican Church in Liberty KY on the completion of the second phase of their building construction, doubling the size of their nave. Now God can fill it.  See pictures of the expanded church.  The link may be found on the MSJ website.

Thank you God.  Thank you people of God.  Your prayers and financial support are bearing fruit here in East Africa.  The teachers of God’s people are being taught.  Without you, all this does not happen.  This ministry, the students in Africa, the rural church in Africa all rely on you and all thank you. Asante sana!

Fr Francis Wardega MSJ
Mission Station Geita, Republic of Tanzania

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Mission Nuestra Señora del Espíritu Santo de Zúñiga

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Over the past year, my motivation at university has been on a rollercoaster.  Sometimes I love it, sometimes I hate it, and mostly it’s just been close to an average.  I love it when I experience weeks like this last one; I have been watching various scientific television programmes and reading a Bill Bryson book about… well, about nearly everything to do with our planet and universe and life and so on.  Anyway, I’ve had these surges of motivation and exhilaration regarding a career in the life sciences that make me grin like a fool, because I want to be like all of these great people who loved what they were doing and were genuinely excited about the things they were studying.  So I’ve been grinning like a fool, watching music videos consisting of clips of Sagan, Feynman, Nye and the like, and I’ve been doing this for days.

I particularly like reading this Bill Bryson book because I know what he’s talking about, it’s my subject, it’s not like he’s telling me anything new (at least not in the biology sections of the book).  I like it because these are things I’ve learned at university; they’re the reason I went off to Edinburgh to study Zoology in the first place.  They’re the things that make me read science-y books in my free time, and reading them now has reminded me of how much I love academia and learning and knowing.

Thank you, Carl Sagan and David Attenborough and every scientist who has ever inspired me. You are who I want to be when I grow up.

Lying on food labels is becoming a subject of interest for the mass media. The fact is they have always been lying to some extent and the question is how much? Measuring the quantity of ingredients and nutrients is expensive but is done for the mandatory labels. The comments on the packaging are not as regulated and can include much false information. I was once perusing the shelves at an East Asian restaurant and found cans of a curious fruit called ‘Jack Fruit.’ I had never heard of it but what interested me more was the protein per serving was 6 or 7 grams for each serving. That is extremely high for a fruit. I found other cans of the same fruit next to it and the protein was .5 grams per serving which made more sense. I never figured it out but assume the higher label was wrong. That is a possibility in the real world but the actual label of information can be a big issue. How many people believe the manufacturer will lie on the label to sell the product versus the competition? Everyone who shops in America. That is nothing new. Lying and misinforming in advertisements are the norm for American businesses. An organized effort to check up on them and keep track of their violations is not new but a new level of response. The media obviously does not have much to cover and this topic has moved up the ranks again. I hope it stays up there and remains subject to questions. It occurred to me once that blogs are great for keeping track of such routine incidents. If a blog existed to keep track of all reported incidents of racism reported, that would raise the level of awareness by public. If a blog existed to keep track of what lies have appeared in advertising packages today, that would increase the level of awareness by public. The public build awareness and defensive response in the presence of the situation. If the media does not cover the situations often and properly, most people will not know and have no defenses built against them. I think time has come for some smart use of the blogging platform to raise public awareness for issues that never leave us.

*This post belongs to this week’s edition of Wine by Cush Magazine blog and published early in World of Cush also.

Short Sayings And Famous Quotation

Roses are red Violets are blue Most poems rhyme This one doesn't
Memorable Phrase

Somebody once figured out that we have 35 million laws trying to enforce 10 commandments
Wisdom Sayings

Some people take too much of vitamin I
Short Saying

Sympathy sees and says, I'm sorry.Compassion sees and says, I'll help.

The only 15 letter word that can be spelled without repeating a letter is uncopyrightable

Too many Christians are no longer fishers of men but keepers of the aquarium

What passes as a woman's intuition, is usually nothing more than a mans transparency

When asking a question of someone your not sure of, only ask if you know half the answer

A good marriage is like a casserole: only those involved actually know what goes into it

Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them

A real patriot is someone who gets a parking ticket and rejoices that the system works

A true friend walks in when the world walks out

Death is not a period but a comma in the story of life

Do all you should, not all you could

Drive carefully, we need every taxpayer we can get

Hating people is like burning down your own house to get rid of a rat

I am the world's greatest authority on my own opinion

If I want your opinion, I'll ask you to fill out the necessary forms

Indian build small fire stand real close, White man build BIG fire stand way back…
Quotable Quotation

short cute quotes

Wisdom Phrases And Meaningful Phrase

Roses are red Violets are blue Most poems rhyme This one doesn't
People Phrase

Sign at a crematorium: Urn more. Pay less
Quotable Quote

Success in marriage is more than finding the right person. It's becoming the right person
Quotable One Liners

The fellow who has no money is poor; the fellow who has nothing but money is poorer still

The person who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones

Today's beautiful moments are tomorrow's beautiful memories

True happiness may be sought, thought, or caught — but never bought

When you are arguing with an idiot, make sure the other person isn't doing the same thing

Where will you be sitting in eternity–smoking or non-smoking?
Where you're going is more important than where you stand

A long dispute means that both parties are wrong

As a computer, I find your faith in technology amusing

A smile is the cheapest way to improve your looks, even if your teeth are crooked

Deja moo: The feeling that you've heard this Bull before!
Democracy is three wolves and one sheep voting on what to have for supper

Don't be afraid to learn. Knowledge is weightless, a treasure you can always carry easily

God gives every bird its food but he doesn't throw it to its nest

Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you a mechanic

I can not dial 911. There's no 11 on my phone

I could drown in a frown and swim in a smile

I know UNIX, PASCAL, C, FORTRAN, COBOL, and nineteen other high-tech words
Favorite Quotes

cute one liners

Short Quotations And Good One Liner

Roses are red Violets are blue Most poems rhyme This one doesn't
Quotable OneLiner

Some goals are so worthy, it's glorious even to fail
Memorable Phrases

Some people think holding on makes them strong, sometimes its letting go
Short Quotation

The fastest way to find something you've lost is to replace it

The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war

Time between slipping on a peel and smacking the pavement: bananosecond

Tough times gets you real friends and others get you tough times

When you don't know what to do, walk fast and look worried

A king's castle is his home

A man who lives in a glass house should change in basement

A meeting is an event at which the minutes are kept and the hours are lost

A synonym is a word you use in place of one you can't spell

Availability is better than ability for God

Don't let people drive you crazy when it is within walking distance

Don't wait for the hearse to take you to church

Habit is a cable; we spin a thread of it every day and at last we can not break it

I always try to go the extra mile at work, but my boss always finds me and brings me back

I don't have an attitude problem. You have a perception problem

Incontinence Hot line…Can you hold please
Amazing Phrase

love quotes

Memorable Quotes And Romantic One Liner

Relationships can be boring – not people!
Remember that failure is an event – not a person
Wisdom Quote

Some people are alive only because it is illegal to kill them
Memorable OneLiner

'Stewardesses' is the longest word that is typed with only the left hand
Quotable Quote

The gap between advice and help is very wide

The only 15 letter word that can be spelled without repeating a letter is uncopyrightable

Time is a great healer, but it's also a lousy beautician

What is right is often forgotten by what is convenient

When you hear a kind word spoken about a friend, tell her so

A good exercise for the heart is to bend down and help another up

Always remember you're unique, just like everyone else

Are you wrinkled with burden? Come onto Church for a FAITH LIFT!
A rich person is not the one who has the most, but the one who needs the least

A tear shed can say more than a hundred words spoken

A vibration is a motion that can't make up its mind which way it wants to go

Don't marry for money – you can borrow it cheaper

God tries our faith so that we may try His faithfulness

He has Van Gogh's ear for music

I am not religious, I just love the Lord

I don't need your attitude I have one of my own

I have faith in fools, my friends call it self-confidence
People Sayings

one liners

Men Quotations And Good Quote

Rebellion is the mother of wrong actions
Long OneLiner

Someone who thinks logically is a nice contrast to the real world
Daily Phrases

Success is relative – the more success, the more relatives
Daily Sayings

The horn of plenty is usually the one behind you in traffic!
The idea is not responsible for the people who believe in it

The only substitute for good manners is fast reflexes

To accomplish something, the first person you have to defeat is yourself

What the caterpillar calls the end, the butterfly calls the beginning

When fear knocks at the door, and you answer, there will be no one there

A husband is the medicine that cures all the ills of girlhood

A man convinced against his will is still of the same opinion

Archeologist: someone whose carrier lies in ruins

A sinning man will stop praying. A praying man will stop sinning

A year spent in artificial intelligence is enough to make one believe in God

Doing a thing wrong for a long period of time gives it the superficial appearance of being right

God's will will not lead you where His grace cannot keep you

Hard work has future payoff. Laziness pays off now

I am not religious, I just love the Lord

I couldn't repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder

I'm a lawyer… Honest?.. No, the usual kind.
Long Quotations

cute oneliners

Quotable Sayings And Motivational One Liner

Save time … see it my way
Quotable Phrase

Show me a man with both feet on the ground, and I'll show you a man who can't put on his pants
People OneLiner

Stress is when you wake up screaming and you realize you haven't fallen asleep yet
Memorable Quote

The horn of plenty is usually the one behind you in traffic!
The idea is not responsible for the people who believe in it

The only limitations to God are in our mind

To forgive calls upon our love– to forget calls upon our strength

True love is not based on what you have, but it is based on who you really are

When satan reminds you of your past, remind him of his future

A goal properly set is halfway reached

A man who lives in a glass house shouldn't throw stones

A real patriot is someone who gets a parking ticket and rejoices that the system works

A statesman shears the sheep. A politician skins them

A wise person has something to say, a fool has to say something

Don't be angry at a friend who told your secret, for neither could you keep it to yourself

God can mend a broken heart but he must have all the pieces

Having someplace to go to is home. Having someone to love is family. Having both is a blessing

I can teach my cat any trick he wants to do!
I close my eyes in order to see

If I eat equal amounts of dark chocolate and white chocolate, is that a balanced diet?
If innocence can leave guilt can come

Indian build small fire stand real close, White man build BIG fire stand way back…
Favorite One Liners

short love quotes

Favorite Sayings And Cute Quotation

Respect cannot be learned, purchased or acquired- it can only be earned
Amazing Phrases

Sign on a church bulletin board: Planning to go to Heaven? Get your flight training here
Memorable OneLiner

Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, faith looks up
Men OneLiner

The latest survey shows that 3 out of 4 people make up 75% of the population

The meaning of life is not a question to be answered, but an event to be experienced

Today's beautiful moments are tomorrow's beautiful memories

Tough times gets you real friends and others get you tough times

When there's a will, there's a way..when there's a won't, there isn't

A girl phoned me and said…Come on over there's nobody home. I went over… Nobody was home!
A giving church is a living church

Always leave loved ones with loving words, it may be the last time you see them

As a man begins to live more seriously within; he begins to live more simply without

A tear shed can say more than a hundred words spoken

Death is life's way of telling you you're fired

DisAppointments are often His Appointments

Don't say if I could, I would.Say instead If I can, I will

Hell has no fire escapes

I am the world's greatest authority on my own opinion

If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail

Information is giving out.Communication is getting through
Amazing OneLiner

interesting most quotes

Wisdom One Liners And Inspirational Phrase

Quoting one is plagiarism. Quoting many is research
Quotable Phrases

Some minds are like concrete… all mixed up and permanently set
Wisdom Quote

Sometimes the Lord calms the storm. Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child
Daily Quote

The greatest fool of all is the man who fools himself

The past is history. Tomorrow's a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why we call it the present

To belittle is to be little

Trust is like money; you spend it, you save it, you lend it, and sometimes you get robbed

When we learn all the answers, they change the questions

A kid's idea of a balanced diet is a hamburger in each hand

A luxury once enjoyed becomes a necessity

Am I indecisive? Can I get back to you on that?
A moment on the lips,an eternity on the hips

A smart husband buys his wife very fine china so she won't trust him to wash it

A young person knows the rules but the old person knows the exceptions

Don't get good at doing something if you don't like doing it

God loves us the way we are, but too much to leave us that way

Habit is a cable; we spin a thread of it every day and at last we can not break it

Herblock's Law: if it is good, they will stop making it

I don't necessarily agree with everything I say

In communism, man oppresses man. In capitalism, it's the other way around
Men Phrase

sweet oneliners

Interesting One Liners And Wise Quotation

Rebellion is the mother of wrong actions
Quotable Quotation

Smile! It increases your face value
Short One Liners

Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, faith looks up
Interesting One Liners

The key to happiness is not fixing your problems but changing your attitude towards your problems

The opposite of love is not hate, but apathy. You cannot hate someone you don't care about

Time is a great healer, but it's also a lousy beautician

Two men looked out of prison bars. One saw mud and the other saw stars

When you aim for perfection you discover it is a moving target

A girl phoned me and said…Come on over there's nobody home. I went over… Nobody was home!
A giving church is a living church

A leading authority is anyone who has guessed right more than once

America is a land where citizens vote for Democrats but hope to live like Republicans

A sinning man will stop praying. A praying man will stop sinning

Death is life's way of telling you you're fired

Don't kill the dream – execute it!
Don't learn the tricks of the trade, learn the trade

God tries our faith so that we may try His faithfulness

He has Van Gogh's ear for music

I can lead you to the water but I can't let you drink

I could drown in a frown and swim in a smile

I know Karate! …and several other Japanese words
Wisdom Quotations

love short quotes

The world population, at leat in the West, is growing old. And it is not only an economical problem of paying rents in some future, but also a problem of attitude towards the elderly (under this term I mean people over 70, in developed countries). Since my father is 60 now I can see he is far too healthy and dynamic to call him elderly, so I think it is 70 when a person is getting weak and needs more support. The age may vary from country to country though.

Since ages the elderly had been respected and taken care of. That was one of the basic laws of live. Presently I can see a huge shift in the attitude of a younger generation.

1. Due to the new technologies which young people are so good at, there is a huge gap between those who use them and those who are not. It is like living on another planet, literally. Any knowledge/information is so easily accessible that we don’t need many years to learn things. Often a short Internet check gives loads of information and a good insight into a subject. Basically there is an illusive  feeling they can’t lean anything from the elderly and there is no interest in communication on the side of younger generations. As for human relations, some aging people are indeed become wiser, and some grow into frustrated, moaning persons who are not inspiring to take after…

2. Taking care of old parents/relatives is being shifted towards some services and home for elderly. It is not any more common (at least in Europe) to nurse them at home till their last breath. For many people it seems to be a good solution to pay somebody else for taking care of their weak parents. In fact, that shocked me when I first learned about this new trend, coming from Russia to Austria 12 years back. That is how they depict it in a US source: “Few people gleefully anticipate the task of caring for an aging parent—but plenty seem to deny that it’s coming. Sooner or later, avoidance can thrust adult children into the caregiver role with a shotgun start. A parent’s slip in the bathroom or a collision caused by a mistake in the driver’s seat can precipitate a deluge of anguished decisions and rapid changes you’re not ready to handle. Suddenly, you could be scrambling to locate account numbers to pay Mom’s bills while she’s in the hospital, tangling with her insurance company to figure out why coverage for an X-ray was denied, and consulting with your brother—who lives three states away—about getting Mom into an assisted-living facility. You grapple with guilt because your mother never wanted to move out of her home, but now her condition leaves little choice. As the drama plays out, you’re also trying to stay afloat at work and look after your other dependents, the kids.”

I don’t really know any solution for this problem, especially on a global level. I feel it would be good if the elderly (whose who are not too weak to stay inside) would be more integrated into the modern life. I wonder what you think of it?

And what do you think we can do about it?

 thanks, and check this post soon again for the analysis of the poll results!

P.S: some links on the topic that may be interesting: Living with the Elderly.

LOVE; axinia

(image by me)

i wonder if my heart is smart too???

fyi: that is a clothes washing powder, not cat food or cat soap

I read a short blog post on a doctor’s blog and it was actually slightly funny. The post was about doctors not being able to work as doctors unless they have computer skills. I remember when computers were first becoming very commonplace, computer skills was a big topic. Today, everyone is buried in computers and Internet. The idea still does exist however. It is hard to believe that not everyone can and is doing what we do on a regular basis. Computer skills are not a big deal if thinking of using a computer on basic levels. If one is to use a computer with skill, the software makes all of the difference. The trend of learning and mastering software at advanced levels disappeared a few years ago. The term ‘power user’ still exists but really does not apply to many people because each person uses too many software and knows enough to make them work for that person until something newer or a new version of that software arrives. Nobody cares to learn a software at an advanced level or become certified. The information becomes outdated quickly but computer learning is still a topic that exists. I am curious how one determines if a person is computer literate besides the using of the mouse, the operating system and the access of the Internet. I doubt if many people have computer phobia any more or that we know of them but they exist. I am curious how the general population can be certified or verified as being computer competent since everyone has their own standards?

*This post belongs to this week’s edition of Writing by Cush blog and published early in World of Cush also.

California has put strict restrictions on Plasma TVs for power consumption. TV may not be the biggest power consumer but too many of them are around. It has been years since television was first invented and has done some good and plenty of damage to the life of probably billions of Americans. If it did not have some benefits, it would not be used in the first place so the benefits don’t really count as the final factor in a decision. The harm that television has done is not simple and easy to define. The device has been so embedded into the American life (and many other cultures) that it is hard to imagine living without. An average American used to watch 5 to 6 hours of TV daily thus the influence of television. I forget the person’s name but a famous Hollywood producer pointed out long ago that “television does not exist to entertain but to sell things to people.” The TV is in every house not because Americans are to benefit. The real job of TV is not the programs but those little commercials. If the commercials were to be transmitted by themselves, they would not be viewed once the novelty wore off. But if the commercials are packaged with something else that demands viewers, they would be watched every time. This is the history of television and the harm it has done, not just by commercials, in so many ways. Why not figure out a way to get rid of the TV boxes for good? The whole world will resist but the benefits are abundant. Why take everything for granted just because they are and were put there long time ago as if they are supposed to be?

*This post belongs to this week’s edition of Writing by Cush blog and published early in World of Cush also.

Thanksgiving Leftovers Sandwich: Leftover turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, corn, cranberry sauce, mac & cheese, spinach balls, puerto rican rice, brussel sprouts, pearl onions, BACON, white castle hamburgers and ravioli inside a foot long bun.

Source:
http://thisiswhyyourefat.com/post/258422664/thanksgiving-leftovers-sandwich-leftover-turkey

Memory was a good little book to read. The size is small and I was under the impression the titles in the “A Very Short Introduction” are mostly essays. Memory was a real book in a tiny size. I would say about 20000 words and did cover a great deal of what one needs to know about human memory in some detail. I enjoyed the book though found it too general to be absorbed by Memory. I have read other books that are closer to what I expect in a memory book of which many are always available. Memory serves as a great introduction and that is what it is at best. You will find the text easy to read and interesting. The comprehension of the material is fairly easy though you must have an interest in a general introduction to seriously concentrate. The book comes in a real pocket size. It can fit in the smallest pockets and is fairly thin which makes it easy to carry and read. The series have at least 50 titles in print and some are very interesting to read because I wouldn’t want more than a general introduction and admit I have an incorrect knowledge-of. I recommend the text if you are looking a good basic introduction with substance or something that is portable but good so you can read passively when you can. The other titles in the series are interesting and you should check the list in the beginning of the text.

*This post belongs to this week’s edition of Reviews by Cush blog and published early in World of Cush also.

Alright, here is the second part of the blog about sings. This will finish them up for this time at least until I find more that I can share with everyone. Have fun!

Please comment I would love the feedback

If it is not in use, then why is it there?

if there is a sign, is there not already a problem?

invisible what? People?

hahaha wow

where are we not supposed to swim?

where am I supposed to park my flying car?

what to say about this one...?

100...mph?

to..ease congestion?

keep left...when there is a huge hole there?

have fun with this one

hahaha wow

evil construction workers..

even though this is not a sign, it is still amazing

how do I get in?

better hope it is not to serious

I am glad they made it plain

watch out for those dangerous gravestones

All customer complaints should be taken care of this way

I hope they have a cell phone

Thanks to whoever made this bilboard

poor cockroaches...:(

what is this gate guarding?!

does this guy still have his job?

bummer, I wanted to cross when cars were moving

does the local trafic have flying cars?

only in America

but...I don't speak dog!

but I already gave my arm and leg last time I got gas!

can buggies go 55?

fine failure